The Rugby Championship kicks off for 2017 this weekend, starting with old foes New Zealand and Australia facing off in a match that doubles as the first of the three-match Bledisloe Cup series. So where will the two matches be played, what time do they kick off, and who will feature?

Bogut talks up Boomers' Rio chances

Star NBA centre Andrew Bogut is predicting Australia's squad depth will give the Boomers the right amount of `swagger' for a successful Rio Olympics campaign.

The Golden State Warriors' big man is confident the Boomers can rattle a few teams in Rio - and with a team laden with NBA players including San Antonio point guard Patty Mills, Cleveland's Matthew Dellavedova, Detroit Piston Aron Baynes and Utah's Joe Ingles he has reason to be optimistic.

That team could also include the tipped No.1 NBA Draft pick Ben Simmons if he can be persuaded to join the squad.

Unbeaten fighter Floyd Mayweather has promised to repay any losses talk-show host Jimmy Kimmel suffers if he loses his fight against Conor McGregor.

"Patty will probably be our gunner from the outside," said Bogut.

"We have got a guy playing in Europe named Ryan Broekhoff ... unbelievable three-point shooter.

"David Anderson, who has played in Europe ... played for the Rockets.

"We have a lot of different guys and you throw in six or seven NBA guys. It just helps. It gives you a bit more of a swagger."

Bogut also put NBA rivalry aside, defending fellow Victorian Dellavedova, who was labelled `dirty' throughout the 2014-15 NBA playoffs and had several stoushes with Bogut's Golden State teammate Draymond Green.

"He's got some enemies in our locker room," Bogut said.

"I respect Delly. He plays hard and people think he is dirty, but he's actually a great fella and we get along really well.

"But he plays hard on the floor."

Bill Simmons, whose podcast is among the most popular in sports in the US, suggested Australia was a "sleeper" for the tournament.

He expressed a desire for the Boomers to get physical with the dangerous French side, should the two teams meet in Rio..

"What's funny about that is Joe Ingles tells me he talks smack about that to (French Utah Jazz teammate) Rudy Gobert every day about that," Bogut said.